The invention relates to gloves and more particularly to a combination glove and mitten which permits the wearer's fingertips and thumb to be exposed.
One type of prior art outdoor work glove or mitten permits the wearer to expose his or her fingertips and/or thumb without removing the glove or mitten itself. The wearer may then grasp small objects or performs various tasks requiring some degree of dexterity. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,274,335 and 3,299,441 disclose mittens having slits in the palm portion which permits the wearer's fingers to be exposed while the thumb remains covered. Another prior art mitten disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,275,837 includes a slit for exposing the fingers while the thumb extends through a hole and is exposed at all times.
Yet another type of prior art mitten is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,315,889 and British Pat. No. 23,616 of 1915. These mittens have a slit for the simultaneous exposure of the fingers and the thumb, but do not include any protection for the thumb or fingers when in their exposed position.
Other types of prior art gloves or mittens permit exposure of one or a few fingers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,093 discloses a glove having a slit for the index finger only and U.S. Pat. No. 1,680,592 shows a glove having slits for both the thumb and index finger. In another example illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,118,463, the thumb and index finger have zippers to permit exposure of these digits. In both examples, however, the remaining fingers remain covered.